Interview nervous and what to do and remember.

There is not any single human being who has never been interview nervous.

It’s normal because people, do worry and get frightened over the unknowns, which I think is a natural adaptation. The problem comes when you are over nervous.

Do not be nervous, why? Because of these reasons;

i). Interviews will always be there and they have to be done as part of getting a job. So whether you are nervous about this job or not, when you move to the next you will be interviewed.

ii). Nervousness does nothing but get in the way of your answers. It disrupts your thinking. See below for a few ways around that.

iii). It's really a form of self-induced stress. Stress releases stress hormones, which power up the adrenalin. Exactly what you don't need. Adrenalin is for life or death survival situations, not conducting your next move in your career.

Unless the building's burning down, it doesn't help. Ironically, in most survival situations, what works is usually a result of clear thinking.

IMPORTANT: Give the alcohol or any other 'helpful' chemicals a miss. You could wind up as a pretty ineffectual mess. They tend to irritate the nervous system, which has to deal with them, too, as well as the way you're feeling about things.

For younger people doing their first interviews:

Remember that this is all about getting a job, no more, no less. The interviewers are doing their jobs. They will understand a lack of confidence, because they've been there themselves, believe it or not.

They'll also try to do a bit of guidance, as much for their sake as yours, to keep your answers on track.

This is a step to maturity. It's one of life's situations that have to be dealt with, and you'll find that you do learn from the experience. This is what becoming an adult is about. It's your ticket to independence, and controlling your destiny.There isn't really anything to worry about.

Out of ten applicants, one will get the job. Giving yourself a disadvantage before you even start by being interview nervous is a bit silly.

Do you mention that you were interview nervous in thank you note?

Sending a thank you letter after the initial interview or even later on in the hiring process is quite simply a smart thing to do. Do you mention you were nervous during the interview?

Basically thank you notes should be brief and to the point. But, if you do have something extremely relevant to add that will reinforce your value (a new degree, an award you just received, or a congratulations on something good that just happened to the company), by all means include that too.

But it’s best NOT to introduce anything new (like being nervous in your job interview) that might undo all the hard work you put into that interview. No pleasant meandering chit-chat. No long interesting story about something that just happened to you – unless it’s absolutely positively relevant to the company’s needs.

As for the interview nerves question…it’s worth thinking about. Bringing up the subject of getting nervous – or mentioning interview nervousness in any way – in your after interview thank you note could at least conceivably affect their hiring decision – depending on how it’s handled.

Did you know that employers expect candidates will get nervous – at least to some extent – during the interview process? So unless you were pouring buckets of sweat, you probably were far more aware of your jingly nerves than they were.

And by mentioning it at all in a post interview thank you note, you’ll only be leaving a reminder of the nervous you – creating a new brain cell for the interviewer that in effect links your name PLUS the word “nervous”. Why do that to yourself!

Now if you really fell all over yourself during the interview and feel you have nothing to lose by addressing how nervous you were – and maybe adding something like you’d love another chance to show them who you really are – well, it might be worth a shot.

BUT If you absolutely feel driven to mention your nervousness, just say it ever so casually ” I know I was a bit nervous and thank everyone for being so easy to talk to!” Or some variation of that idea. This turns your mention of nerves into a compliment for them and doesn’t in any way detract from you and your qualifications for the job.

But personally, I still think you’re much better off staying away from the topic altogether. Keep your thank you note polite (not too stiff) and direct – and try your best to leave an impression that’s positive, don't show you are interview nervous to the last point.

See more about interviews here

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